


Jumping the Besom

by LinneaKou



Series: The Witching Hour [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Families of Choice, Multi, Paganism, Romance, Weddings, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 03:50:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9217409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinneaKou/pseuds/LinneaKou
Summary: The "Jumping the Besom" is a ceremony in which the bride(s) and/or groom(s), either at the ceremony or at the reception, signify their entrance into a new life and their creation of a new family by symbolically "sweeping away" their former single lives, former problems and concerns, and jumping over the broom to enter upon a new adventure as wife and husband.In which a family of choice comes together to celebrate the bonds of matrimony and the beauty of love.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of an AU that I've got going, and it would probably help immensely to read the first fic in the series, "An' Harm Ye None" before reading this.
> 
> Basically, Antoinette "Toni" Stark, an ordained Witch and head of her small town's coven, is about to marry the Cowan (non-witch) Detective Steve Rogers after the events of the previous fic, in which they ended up acquiring the newborn twins Arno and Antonella (among other things).

Toni stared at herself in the full-length mirror and breathed. “Hell’s bells,” she said hoarsely, raising her hands to her hair. It had been unleashed from her customary braid and threaded with wildflowers from Pepper’s solarium.

Speaking of Pepper, her dear friend slapped her hands away and continued to fuss with the curls. “Stop that. It’s fine.”

“Hell’s _bells_ ,” Toni whined, and Pepper had to turn her face away to snort.

“Gee,” Carol said, grinning as she added another white flower to the “crown”. “It’s like you’ve never gotten married before.”

“Eat me,” Toni grumbled all the while as she felt sick to her stomach. The morning had dawned bright and crisp and properly springish, and they’d had the marriage license for a week, and the twins had been cleared for the half-continental trip that brought them home to Cravenswood, and then there was nothing in the way of The Day.

Wanda crept in another powder brush, and Toni surrendered to her cousin’s makeup ministrations. “Oh, hush,” Wanda said as she tapped some blush onto Toni’s cheekbones. “I’m going for a light, natural look.”

“No, make her look like a drag queen,” Carol insisted, fluffing Toni’s hair.

“I hate you all,” Toni grumbled.

Her friends and coven sisters all giggled at her, but that didn’t stop her shuddering.

“Toni, it’s gonna be fine. You already look amazing, and Steve is going to be speechless.” Pepper squeezed her shoulder and then stood up to grab for the dress.

Toni looked at the dress and felt faint.

“Breathe,” Wanda said, snapping her fingers next to Toni’s ear. “Breathe, Toni.” She dug into her bag for a pack of Tic Tacs, tapping a few into her palm and offering them to her cousin.

Toni immediately took them and popped them into her mouth. “I don’t think I’m going to survive today,” she moaned.

“You should have eloped,” Wanda agreed, going back to her work.

Toni privately wished for a moment to hold one of the twins. She’d thought, before heading out to New York to see them in neonatal care, that the wedding would be the easy part. That the idea of becoming a parent with little or no warning would be what destroyed her. She had been surprised at how quickly she and Steve had adjusted to the new additions to their lives, and their huge family had meant that they would always have babysitters and volunteers to feed and burp and rock. (So far, Sarah and Wanda were the only consistent diaper changers.)

On the bad nights, however rare that they were, Toni found herself sneaking into the nursery to watch her infant children sleep. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt any tension bleeding out of her as she watched the rise and fall of the tiny little chests. The first time Antonella had gripped Toni’s finger in her tiny hand, Toni thought she’d faint.

Sarah was with the twins now, and Toni presumed that they were probably still sleeping soundly after their mid-morning feeding. She still yearned to break free of her friends and run to the nursery.

“Hey,” Carol, said softly, leaning in to murmur in Toni’s ear. “Relax. Everything is going to be fine.”

“I know,” Toni admitted. “But I’m still nervous.”

“Not unreasonable.” Carol finished off the flowers and wrapped her arms around Toni’s shoulders. “This should be a happy day!”

“It is, it totally is, but--” Toni closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “I dunno. I just don’t know, Carol. I’m just so scared!”

“Fear is a totally normal thing when faced with the unknown,” Wanda said wisely, finishing up on Toni’s face and gently blowing excess powder off. “But this is Steve we’re talking about here. The guy who’s been in love with you ever since he laid eyes on you. You deserve this.”

Toni closed her eyes. “I--”

“Don’t argue with me,” Wanda interrupted. “C’mon, let’s get this dress on you.”

The dress was one of Jan’s finds, a gorgeous off-white lace-and-silk gown from the 20’s that had been carefully preserved and repaired by vintage fashion aficionados, speckled with pearls the size of the baby twins’ thumbnails. It had a smooth silk bodice and went down to her ankles, and lace netting made up the sleeves, which extended to her elbows. It gathered under the bust and flared out around the hips, complementing Toni’s curvy figure. It was a work of art, utterly beautiful. Steve hadn’t seen it yet, thanks to Jan convincing everyone that the First Look should take place as Toni was being walked down the aisle.

“C’mon,” Pepper said, unzipping the back. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Toni held onto Carol’s arm as she stepped into the dress, and her friends helped her get settled into it. Pepper carefully zipped it up and buttoned the top, and between her and Carol and Wanda they got the dress straightened out on Toni.

“Oh, wow,” Wanda breathed, grinning. “You look amazing.”

“Steve’s gonna have to scrape his jaw off the ground,” Carol agreed.

Toni raised her eyebrows as Pepper resettled her hair around her shoulders.

“That’s a good thing, Toni,” Carol said patronizingly.

Toni grimaced, but sat down to pull on the matching shoes. Hilariously, Happy had been the one to find them. He’d been inordinately proud of himself. They were ivory-colored slipper-style shoes with a low heel, with small pearl and gemstone-covered brooches on the tops.

“Perfect,” Carol said approvingly.

“Wait,” Wanda said, pulling out Toni’s jewelry box. “You need your medallion.”

“Grab those frosted glass teardrop earrings,” Pepper added.

“There’s no point to that,” Carol argued. “Her hair’s down.”

“I’ve already got gold studs in,” Toni waved them off.

Wanda handed her Maria’s medallion, and Pepper helped her put it on.

“Okay.” Toni said as the round medal fell against her breastbone. It was like having her mother there with her. “Okay.”

There was a knock at the door, and Pietro poked his head in. “Go time,” he said, grinning. He nodded approvingly at Toni. “You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Toni said weakly.

“You’ll be fine,” he said, echoing his twin. He gestured to the others, and Toni’s bridesmaids chivvied her along.

The Manor’s windows were open, taking full advantage of the unseasonably warm spring weather. Strains of violin music made its way inside - to Toni’s amusement, it was Pachelbel’s _Kanon in D_. It did little to dispense her nerves, but she squeezed Pepper’s hand as they made their way down the staircase and through the foyer, towards the back porch.

Pietro jogged ahead of them, and Pepper halted them at the door to the backyard. Rhodey and Jan joined them, and Pepper handed Toni off to Rhodey.

“How are you holding up?” Rhodey asked, not unkindly, and Toni made a wheezy noise. He patted her hand in response. In front of them, the bridesmaids lined up. Pepper looked over her shoulder at Toni and winked, and Toni smiled weakly.

“Here we go,” Pietro said, holding the porch door open.

The music changed from the recording of Pachelbel to a live group - Matt’s Saturday Mass performers, graciously volunteering to provide the wedding march. Except it wasn’t the wedding march, it was something more ethereal, with a soaring violin that made Toni think of rolling green hills and high cliffs. It was so much better than the cliche wedding march.

Toni closed her eyes, swaying slightly in time to the tamborine keeping the beat, as the violin and the cello and the guitar wove a melody that felt like the wind and the sea and the sky sweeping around them.

Jan stepped out, accepting her bouquet from Pietro, and carefully made her way down the stairs and across the back lawn, towards the ceremony set-up.

It was a traditional outdoor wedding, with several rows of chairs and a long aisle dividing them down the center. Someone had erected a flower-covered archway at the front, and Toni could see people filling the chairs, waiting expectantly. She couldn’t see any of the people at the front from her vantage point, but she’d be seeing it soon enough.

Carol waited a few seconds longer, and then followed after Jan, clutching her own bundle of flowers.

There was a flicker at the edge of Toni’s vision, and she turned her head to look carefully at the forest at the edge of her property. She could see the Fae in silhouette, shifting in the shadows. She smiled to herself as Wanda went, her hair catching the sunlight and blazing a deep red.

“You’re fine,” Pepper whispered, and then she too made her way downstairs to the center of the aisle.

As soon as Pepper was taking her place with the other bridesmaids, the music changed. Toni barely resisted stuffing a fist in her mouth to stifle the giggle that bubbled forth at the carefully arranged, rustic-acoustic remix of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”. Rhodey grinned at her, and then it was their turn. He wove his arm through hers and guided her down the steps.

They rounded the shrubbery that sprouted from the bottom of the steps, and Toni kept her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her. They’d opted for no flower girl or ring bearer, but there were still petals dotting the aisle. She caught sight of her friends, her Cravenswood family, from her peripheral - Peter Parker and his aunt May had snagged aisle seats, and Peter snapped a picture of her with his dad’s old camera. Angie Martinelli was seated closer to the front, and she ducked down to catch Toni’s eye and waved, grinning fit to burst.

She caught sight of Peter Quill, somehow having managed to worm his way into one of the front rows (reserved for family and coven members), and he looked like he was having the time of his life next to Thor and Jane. Happy, Jessica Drew, Hank, and Hank’s new protege Scott Lang were in the front row as well. Rocky the Raccoon and Groot were on the other side of the chairs, and Toni knew she’d caught sight of Gamora and Drax in the woods. Groot waved, and Rocky looked like he was brushing away tears. That made her smile.

Nearby them, Clint and Bobbi, with Kate looking back and forth from Toni to the front; Rumiko was seated near them, next to her parents. Billy and Tommy and their friend Teddy were seated a row away from the coven, and Tommy was making kissy faces at her. Reed and Sue, plus Johnny, Ben Grimm, and the kids, gave little waves as she glanced at them. Ben was hiding behind his hands. Other members of the Shadow Council - Yinsen, Agatha Harkness, Stephen Strange, and King T’Challa of Wakanda - were seated nearby. Charles Xavier hadn’t been able to make the trip out during the school year, but had sent along his warm regards with Erik Lensherr, Wanda and Pietro’s father, who was seated behind Pietro. Hank McCoy grinned at her and she grinned back. Emma Frost cast a cool eye over her and nodded approvingly.

On the groom’s “side” most of the police force was crammed into the seats, Luke and Jess Jones with their baby girl. Jess looked pretty amused, and helped little Dani do a little celebratory dance; Luke was actually crying. On his other side, Danny Rand and Misty Knight were both holding onto tissue packs, but they both were smiling. Further in were Patsy, Claire, and Foggy, as well as one of Jess’s interns from the paper; there was Karen Page wiping her cheeks on Frank Castle’s sleeve… Sousa and Violet, Dum Dum Dugan, Jim Morita, Gabe Jones, Jacques Dernier, James Montgomery Falsworth, even Jack Thompson had shown up, and he looked subdued but not angry, to Toni’s surprise. Chief Dooley and his wife and kids, and Dooley gave her a wry smile. Up front, next to Angie: Rose and the forensic squad - Al Samberly, Jason Wilkes, and Bruce, plus Jen, who grinned at her.

In front of them was Sarah, holding a sleeping Arno in her lap. Arnie’s boyfriend Michael held Antonella next to her, and he held the snoozing infant up and smiled. Next to Michael was Erskine, who looked like it was the happiest day of his life. Nat was was on Erskine’s other side, and despite her stoic expression she kept dabbing at her eyes (she’d deny it later) as she murmured quietly to Peggy’s niece Sharon. It was a wonder that Toni hadn’t started blubbering all the makeup off what with all the tears being shed.

Matt was in full priest garb, standing under the trellis, and to his left stood Stephen Strange’s partner Clea, wearing her High Priestess robes. Jarvis was seated primly in front of them, in his small housecat form. He met her gaze and swished his tail in delight. Toni finally gathered her courage and looked up to see Steve.

Carol had been right, she’d knocked Steve’s socks off. His mouth was hanging open slightly, and Peggy had to elbow him to close it. Bucky, Sam, and Arnie were grinning wide enough to split their faces.

Toni only had eyes for her groom. Steve had obviously been talked into eschewing a modern-style tux for one of the vintage ones that Jan had been on a mission to find, and the turn-of-the-century suit she’d clearly found fit him like a glove. His shoulders tugged on the black jacket, and he’d clearly had his bowtie tied up by a pro - no wonder Janet had rushed off, Toni doubted any of the men in the bridal party knew how to tie a bowtie from scratch. He’d been wrangled into a deep blue cumberbund, which only emphasized his impossibly trim waist accenting his delightfully broad chest. Toni’s mouth watered at the slight, and Rhodey chuckled at her side.

Steve’s expression wasn’t quite gobsmacked, but he looked like his birthday had come early. He had on a wavering smile, one that she knew she was mirroring.

Now, she was really glad they hadn’t done First Looks.

Rhodey tugged at her arm, and they came to a stop in front of the altar.

“Who accompanies this Witch to this blessed gathering?” Clea asked, looking to Rhodey.

“I do, her coven-brother,” Rhodey answered in a clear, strong voice.

“Do you, on behalf of your coven, object to this union?”

“Nay.”

The Witches in the crowd whooped as Rhodey guided Toni up to the altar and placed her hand upon it. She handed her bouquet off to Pepper.

“Merry meet to all,” Clea called. “Blessings upon this loving couple, whom we are gathered here to bond in matrimony!”

The bridesmaids and groomspeople took this as their cue to form a loose circle around the altar, and Clea began to chant in Veritan.

“ _Great Goddess, mother of all, we thank you for your gifts of a glorious day and of the love that these two share,_ ” she said, moving to the altar. She picked up the athame and passed it through the flame of the lit candle, then raised it overhead.

“Hail to the guardians of the east, beings of air and invention. We call upon you now, hear us!” She turned to face the next cardinal direction. “Hail to the guardians of the south, beings of fire and passion. We call upon you now, hear us!” She turned again. “Hail to the guardians of the west, beings of water and healing, hear us!” One last turn. “Hail to the guardians of the north, beings of earth and renewal, hear us!” She brought the athame down and embedded it in the offering, a small loaf of bread. Quickly, she put the plate aside and unstoppered a bottle of wine, turning and pouring it out onto the ground. “Accept our offerings and bless this union, a’così sià!”

“A’così sià!” responded the various Witches, Toni bowing her head.

“Let us pray,” said Matt, and everyone save Sarah and Michael, who both still had babies in their laps, stood. Matt led the group in a calm, sedate prayer before beginning with the Catholic portion of the ceremony.

Matt began to read passages from his Bible, passages that Toni had never heard before (which made sense, seeing as she didn’t go to Sunday Mass) that were fairly relevant in basic content. Steve hadn’t worked with Matt to pick out the verses to be read, leaving it up to the pastor; Toni was glad she’d chosen to wear shoes with minimal heels, as Sarah had warned her that this part would be the bulk of the ceremony and she had to stand for it.

The verse in question was about marriage (of course) and family, and were… uncomfortably old-fashioned. Matt had an eyebrow cocked as he moved his hand over the braille Bible, and Steve was fidgeting next to her as Matt read off a list of expectations that a wife had to fulfill in marriage, and Toni snuck a glance at him.

Matt closed out the verse and stepped back a little as the Catholic members of the congregation murmured their affirmations. He bade them be seated again.

Toni shot Steve an aside glance, but then Matt chuckled and folded his hands. “I can sense a few faces indicating disagreement, but worry not - I’m not done.”

A few on Toni’s side of the congregation chuckled, some warily.

“I think that this union, while no less sanctioned and holy, is rather unique.” Matt grinned in Toni’s direction, and she rolled her eyes. “I know that this isn’t the first time a Witch married a Cowan, but I’d say I’m speaking for all of us when I say that we recognize the importance of this marriage, of your bond.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Toni could see Steve smiling again. She felt warmth spreading through her torso and flexed her hand still on the altar.

“And I think that we can learn a thing or two from the marriage tenants of our Witch friends. For example,” Matt nodded to Clea, “the duties of the husband. If I may?”

Clea smirked, but gestured. “By all means, Pastor.”

“Thank you.” He turned back to the assembly. “So, fair warning, I’m about to explain to you all a few things that any Witch would probably be able to tell you, and I apologize in advance, but I’ve got to admit that a few things caught my attention.

“For starters, the duties of a Witch’s husband have a lot of similarities to those of a Catholic - provide support and love to your wife, treat her kindly, embrace her and enfold her into your life and family as she does with you. I can’t say I miss all those passages about submission and obedience, and I doubt that you do--” this he clearly aimed at Toni, and she made a face of agreement and nodded, making people laugh.

“But there is something to that, if not exactly what people have taken it to mean.” Matt became serious, and Toni glanced at Steve again. “I’m not saying to become a doormat, because that’s not who you are, that’s not in either of your natures. And this is where the Witch marriage vows come in to fill the blanks. And I quote: ‘as the lovers become of one flesh, two halves of one whole in the eyes of the God and Goddess, they become like like earth and sky, like night and day - one cannot be complete without the other, for without the other the one cannot exist.’ And I speak for us all when I say that when I look at you two, I see something beautiful. I see balance.”

Toni blinked and glanced at Peggy, who was nodding sagely. On the other side, Pepper was smirking.

“So when we look at the Bible, and all of the expectations of the husband versus the wife, perhaps there is a measure of truth to it that is best illuminated by the creed of marriage from Veritan Stregheria. What applies to one applies to the other, because both are two halves of a whole. You two,” Matt raised his hands, one to Toni and one to Steve, “you’re a team. When you work together, there are no problems too great to solve. Why does this work so well? Well, it’s common sense. Both of you compliment each other beautifully; if one has a negative attribute, the other balances it out to neutralize it while amplifying the positive qualities already there. How many times has Toni helped Steve with nuance? How many times has Steve convinced Toni to invest in her self-care?”

Toni’s eyes widened and she felt rather than saw Steve’s blush kick up.

“I think that the events of last autumn proved to this town how vital you two are to all of us, and how effective you are when you work together towards a common goal. The devotion and trust between you two is truly a gift from whichever divine force brought you two together, and I pray that it only grows stronger through the years. If I may close out with a reading from the Song of Solomon--”

He cleared his throat. “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. Let us stand in prayer once more.”

The Cowans got to their feet and joined hands, as the Witches watched politely. The Catholics joined hands; Clea nodded to Toni, and Steve stepped forward to take her hands in his.

The world fell away at his touch, and she looked into his earnest blue eyes, lit like sapphires in the sun. He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in that way that reminded her of Golden Age Hollywood heartthrobs, and she smiled back. If she’d been a Cowan, her eyes would have been watering.

Matt was speaking another prayer that the congregation was joining in on, but Toni wasn’t paying attention - she’d feel bad about it later, but she couldn’t work it up at the moment - because Steve chose then to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb. She forced herself to breathe normally, and squeezed back.

What followed was another Catholic rite, their version of God-eating. Steve drew even to stand beside her at the altar, where he and Matt consecrated their Communion wafers and sacramental wine. Matt performed the God-eating for himself, and then for Steve. Sam stepped forward to take the wafers as the Catholics stood and made their way down the side aisles to the altar, which took another few minutes as the musicians began to play again, another gentle tune that Toni guessed was a hymn. Steve was standing next to her, head bowed in prayer. She felt a calm content wash over her as she watched him relax, his posture smoothing out. He looked up and caught her eye once more, and as Communion wrapped up, they reached out to each other once more.

“A symbol of their bond, of everlasting love,” Clea said, stepping around the altar. She picked up the rope woven of various multicolored ribbons, and wrapped one end around Toni’s wrist. She carefully wove the rope around their joined hands until there was only a bit of cord left on either side. Carefully, she tied the ends off. “The Gods and Goddesses of old and of new, the beings of spirit and of earth, and the love of our ancestors will it, so mote it be. Your bond shall be like this cord, never ending, only beginning anew.”

“The vows,” Matt said, and Clea stepped back. He looked at Steve, who took a deep breath and wet his lips.

Toni squeezed his hand again, and he nodded, never taking his eyes away from her.

“I, Steven Rogers, swear to love you more with every passing day.”

To her right, she heard Sarah sniffling quietly, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from Steve’s.

“I have plenty of practice,” Steve added wryly, which startled a laugh out of everyone present. Peggy snorted the loudest. “I promise to never give you grief over your weird habits and your obsession with sixty-year-old cars--”

Toni pouted at him, and he smirked. “And I promise to never make fun of you for your fixation with 80’s goth music or your insistance of drinking more coffee than what’s humanly healthy--”

More laughter, and she could hear Bucky’s chortling from behind Steve.

“I promise to never leave you alone in raising our two beautiful children,” Steve added, and there were scattered coos and aww’s from the onlookers. “And I promise to never try and help you cook because we’re not alone in our house and everyone likes to eat.”

Toni giggled, and Steve tilted his head, eyes twinkling.

“I promise to keep you warm on cold winter nights and help you not forget your parasol on hot summer days, and I promise to always tell you how beautiful I think you are no matter what the circumstances until the day I go blind, should it ever come.”

Toni swallowed, the weird phantom tears prickling at the back of her eyes.

“I promise to honor you, stand by your side in sickness and in health, ‘till death do us part and beyond,” he said softly, and Peggy whooped behind him, starting off waves of cheers from the gathered onlookers that turned into applause and hollering.

When it died down and Toni had managed to wrangle her voice back, she glanced at Matt, who nodded to her. “I, Antoinette Sophia Stark, swear to love you with all of my soul and every breath in my body.”

He smiled at her, spurring her on.

“I promise to comfort you on the days that the Cubs lose the game, and to never hold you back from fights with Packers fans.”

Rhodey barked with laughter behind her, and from the fringe she heard Aries doing the same.

“I promise that I will eventually learn how to swing dance, for real this time, and that we’ll clear out the ballroom eventually--”

Pepper snorted behind Toni, and Steve chuckled.

“I promise to remember my own damn parasol, so that I can protect you from sunburn and preserve Pepper’s aloe supply,” she added, and Sarah laughed from the first row. “And I promise to always cherish you, all of you, your kind soul and your loving heart and your neverending stubbornness. I promise to believe you when you tell me your thoughts, no matter what they are.”

A breeze swept over them, tumbling her curls into her face, as she finished her vows. “I promise to truly Know you in the eyes of all Creation, and to find you in the Beyond where all souls meet so we can do it all again, so mote it be.”

Cheers rang out from their guests, and Clea brought forth the crystal chalice filled with purified water collected on the night of the last full moon. “I bid you drink of your love,” she said, bringing it to Toni’s lips. Toni did as bade, and Clea moved to Steve for the same. She moved back to stand behind the altar once more.

“In the eyes of God, Almighty Father, and by the power vested in me I bid you husband and wife,” Matt intoned, grinning. “You may now kiss the bride.”

It was clearly the moment everyone had been waiting for, because the moment that Steve leaned in and their lips touched, it was like an explosion had taken place in their backyard. Unsurprisingly, the babies woke up and began to squall, leaving Sarah and Michael to soothe them with Sharon’s help as everyone else celebrated. Toni could hear Matt trying to finish up the ceremony but could barely make out his words over the din, and when she and Steve parted to glance at him, they caught him in the moment that he clearly gave up because he just smiled wryly and made a shooing gesture at them.

Pepper grabbed the besom broomstick at the side of the altar and placed it at the start of the aisle as Steve and Toni got their hands resituated in the handfasting cord, and once they were securely set, hands clasped, Toni gathered the skirt of her dress in one hand and they stepped up to the broom.

Everyone began to chant and cheer as Toni and Steve exchanged glances and then, as one made the jump over the besom.

Pepper tossed Toni’s bouquet back to her as the music started up again and they ran back up the aisle as their friends pelted them with white rose petals, Jarvis at their heels. She could hear Groot bellowing and caught sight of the tree sprite, spontaneously sprouting blossoms in his joy. Steve’s hand still grasped firmly in hers, they rounded the line of shrubs and carefully made their way up the stairs back to the porch. Why had she been so worried? The ceremony had gone swimmingly, and every chance he could, Steve would look back at her with the most adoring look on his face.

“You know,” Steve said once they reached the back door into the kitchen and stopped to catch their breath, “this is it. It’s official now. You’re stuck with me.”

Toni laughed and threw her free arm around his shoulder, drawing him close. “I know, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

“Mm, good.” They kissed again, this time slow and sweet. “Because all my shit’s in your closet and I don’t fancy having to move back in with Bucky.”

Toni snorted. “Nat would kill me.”

Steve hummed, pressing his forehead to hers. “Did you see her down there?”

“Yeah, don’t mention that you saw her crying her eyes out to anyone ever.”

Steve smirked and they kissed once more.

“Crikey O’Reilly!” Peggy poked her head into the closed-off porch, her mouth curved in a shit-eating grin. “Save it for the honeymoon, you two!”

“Dammit, Peggy,” Steve groaned, but he was smiling.

“It’s all right, the scene is safe now,” she called behind her, and the rest of the bridal party trooped in.

“All right!” Jan punched a triumphant fist into the air. “Reception time! Let’s eat and totally ruin our diets!”

“Can I change out of these shoes first?” Carol asked, rotating an ankle. “Ye Gods, I feel like my feet are about to fall off.”

“Inside,” Pepper yelled, herding the lot of them into the kitchen. “Rhodey’s got the crowd downstairs handled, so everyone inside!”

The bridal party split, the bridesmaids ushering Toni off to her bedroom to get her changed into her reception dress, while the groomspeople swept Steve to the drawing room for whatever pregaming he had to endure. Shoes were switched out for the ladies, and Jan did a quick touchup of Toni’s makeup after she’d gotten herself settled in her more comfortable crimson gown. Witch weddings were typically very colorful, but they had decided on a white dress for the ceremony as a concession to the Catholic portion. This dress had belonged to Toni’s grandmother, and it fit like a glove. It was styled like a medieval gown, with off-the-shoulder sleeves and a floor-length skirt that billowed as Toni walked. She slipped on more comfortable slippers in gold satin and allowed Wanda to fix up the flower crown before her impatience was rewarded and they were able to rejoin Steve and the others downstairs.

Sam whistled when he saw Toni. “See,” he said, elbowing Steve. “She should have totally worn that for the ceremony.”

Steve turned around and his jaw literally dropped. _Oh, that’s right,_ Toni realized. Steve hadn’t seen this gown either.

Peggy burst into laughter at Steve’s face, and Bucky echoed Sam’s whistle. “Stevie, you hit the jackpot.”

“He already knew that,” Arnie said.

“Okay!” Pepper strode in, skirts flaring behind her. “Pair up and we go, got it? Let’s move!”

“She’s so terrifying,” said Arnie as Wanda hooked her arm through his elbow.

“You think that’s scary?” Wanda giggled. “You should have seen her when she was helping pick out the decor.”

Arnie shuddered.

Sam and Carol, who had been present at that, both smothered snorts as they lined up behind them. Jan and Bucky were next after that, and then Peggy and Pepper.

Toni felt Steve’s fingers twining with her own, and he raised their linked hands to his lips. “Ready?” he murmured.

She grinned. “The hard part’s over.”

“Sharon promised to clink her glass nonstop,” Steve pointed out. “I think she’s getting Kate and Wanda’s boys in on it.”

Toni scrunched her nose. “Oh no. You’ll have to kiss me, your newly-wed wife, on your wedding day. How horrible.”

“Well, if we kiss too much, won’t it get old?”

“Kissing you? Get old?” Toni rolled her eyes and stood on tiptoe to peck her new husband on the cheek. “Never.”

 

Sharon ended up being the second person to stubbornly clink her fork against her glass, beaten to the punch by Happy wearing the most shit-eating grin he’d ever had. The only reason that happened was because he’d started the minute that Steve and Toni had set foot in the banquet area during the bridal party entrance.

Pepper literally facepalmed as her husband triggered a tidal wave of glass-clinking, but Steve swept Toni around into an impressive dip and kissed her right in the middle of the dance floor to the cheers of everyone present. Toni wound her arms around his neck and giggled into the kiss, and when they separated he was laughing as well.

They were seated very quickly, and Michael deposited Nella into Toni’s lap. The baby girl immediately smiled and Toni felt warmth blooming in her chest as she adjusted her daughter in her arms. Sarah, seated on Steve’s other side, still had Arno, and Steve was cooing at their son as everyone around them got settled.

Once Arno had started to doze off (he tended to do that easily, but Jane and Thor had both declared him to just be a very sleepy baby) Steve turned his attention on Nella, who was delighted to play with her daddy for a little bit.

Jarvis leapt onto the table and looked out at the assembly. “The Fae and High Spirits send their regards for this happy day,” he reported.

“That’s awfully nice of them,” Steve said. “Do they want cake?”

“I think Peter Quill and his sprite friend will be the only ones to indulge on that,” Jarvis answered primly.

“Faeries can’t eat human food for the most part,” Toni explained quietly. “Makes them sick. Peter’s half human, and Rocky has Tanuki ancestry, so they’re okay.”

“Tanuki?”

“Ask Ru. She’ll tell you all about them.”

Steve raised his eyebrows, but was distracted when Nella let out a loud “AH!”

“I think someone’s hungry,” Jarvis said, swishing his tail.

Pepper appeared behind them as if summoned, holding out a bottle of formula. “I’ll make sure you two get served, here,” she said, handing Steve the bottle before dashing off again.

Rhodey settled in on Toni’s other side. “Let me see my niece, gimme.”

Toni handed Nella over to Uncle Rhodey, and Steve passed the bottle along.

“Best Godfather,” Rhodey crowed as he got Nella to eat on his first try.

“Hey!” Bucky yelled from across the table. “I’ll fight you for that title.”

“Change a diaper, then,” Rhodey shot back at him, eyebrows raised.

Bucky backed off, grimacing, and Natasha burst into laughter. She had demonstrated a terrifyingly efficient grasp of diaper-changing already, and Toni had it on good authority that she was trying to tutor Bucky in the art. “Trying” being the key word.”

 Pepper alerted Rhodey to the time, and he nodded and stood, using his free hand to tap his knife against his water glass. Toni had to bite her lip in order to not laugh as her best friend cleared his throat and prepared to give the bridal toast with a dozing Nella on his hip.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” he said, adjusting Nella so that she rested her little face on his shoulder. “So, uh, it looks like I need to give a toast.”

A few laughs rang out, but everyone was silent as he began to speak.

“So, the first time I ever met Toni here, she had to be just a little older than Nella here, and I remember thinking to myself: how can one little tiny person drool so much?”

Toni snorted and Steve squeezed her arm, laughing quietly.

“Thankfully, she grew out of that,” Rhodey added, and that cued more laughter. “And she grew into being alternately the biggest pain in the butt I knew, and the best friend I would ever have.” He glanced at her, grinning. “Listen, I remember an angry teenage girl sitting in Pepper’s dorm and declaring she’d never,  _ ever _ fall in love with anyone ever again. She’d never get married, have kids, settle down and get a house, nothing. Kept saying this life just wasn’t in the cards for her. I think we all can agree that Nostradamus, she ain’t.”

There were smatterings of more laughter, but Rhodey turned to her, facing her fully. “Toni, it has been an absolute privilege being by your side as we both grew up. I’m grateful for everything, from the scrapes you dragged me through to the moments like this, because everything has been worth it. No matter how exasperated you make me, or how many gray hairs you give me, I know that you’ve got my back, and I’m proud to have yours. You’re like another sister to me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Steve,” he added, looking over Toni’s shoulder. “Look, man, you need to know how absurdly happy you’ve made her. Not just in the last few months, but over the past decade. There are moments when I don’t want anyone to prove this lady wrong, but you are welcome to smash those predictions she made back at the Academy all those years ago. I hope your life together is filled with love and joy, and I look forward to seeing it. Cheers.” He raised his glass, and their guests echoed the toast, the clinking of glasses echoing around the gathering. Toni had to get to her feet and give Rhodey a tight hug, careful to not squeeze Nella in the process. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear, and he squeezed her back.

“Congrats, you dumbass,” he said, giving her a small peck on the cheek. Toni grinned as the phantom tears prickled at the back of her eyes again.

There was a loud spate of applause behind them, and it was a moment before they could draw apart. Rhodey picked up his glass and clinked it against hers, and they took a sip in unison before retaking their seats.

“Oh, I guess that means I’m up?” Peggy said on Sarah’s other side. “Should I be holding a baby, too?”

“Just get up,” Steve laughed, and Peggy blew a kiss at him as she pushed her chair back and got to her feet, raising her glass.

“All right.” She shook her head, making her dark curls tumble around before settling by her chin. “So, I’ll just? All right.” She cleared her throat, and Toni was struck with the rare image of Peggy Carter being at a loss for words. She visibly gathered her composure and hoisted her glass a bit higher.

“I think I speak for all of us present when I say  _ about bloody time! _ ” she finally said.

Cheers erupted around them, and Steve buried his face in his hands as Sam and Bucky both hooted. Toni rubbed his shoulder as Sarah openly laughed.

“Seriously, I could go on about a lot of things,” Peggy insisted. “Our high school days, our time at the police academy, all of that. I have plenty of material. But nothing tops the day that Toni waltzed onto our crime scene and ended up bringing magick back to Cravenswood, and back into the lives of everyone who lived here. Also,” she added as an aside. “She turned your hair blue, didn’t she?”

“That was an  _ accident _ ,” Toni burst out, and the space exploded in laughter.

Peggy was carefully wiping tears from her eyes as the noise died down, and she was grinning widely as she went on. “In any case, I have to concur with Rhodey, and with Matt. Steve,” she said, looking right at him. “I have never seen you act the way you do with Toni around anyone else. Not with me, nor with Bernie or Rachel. You finally got your wish, and don’t act like you don’t remember that.”

Steve blushed furiously, and Toni slipped her hand into his. He twined his fingers with hers, and she brushed her thumb over a knuckle as Peggy continued.

“I always knew you’d be a family man one day, no matter what it took. I’m so happy to see you this happy, I’m so glad it came true. You are incredibly lucky, Steve, and I wish you all the happiness in the world. Toni, you as well. I’m so very happy to have you both as friends, and it is with complete, utter joy that I raise my glass to your marriage. Cheers.”

“ _ Cheers! _ ” shouted the guests once more, and both Steve and Toni got up to embrace Peggy, who couldn’t stop herself crying now. “I’m so happy for both of you,” she whispered, squeezing them tightly.

“Thanks, Peg,” Steve murmured, Toni echoing the sentiment.

They broke apart, and Sarah gave Peggy a hug as well as Pepper announced the guests could begin serving themselves, releasing each table to the buffet one by one.

Sure enough, Pepper ended up serving Toni and Steve, along with Sarah, while everyone else had to go through the buffet line. Toni took back Nella as Rhodey got up to grab his food, and Steve had Arno while his mother ate. They already had mastered the skill of feeding themselves while holding onto the twins, but Toni was sure they made for an interesting picture when Peter Parker swept by with his camera.

They had gotten catering for the event, despite the fact that there were several talented cooks among them, and Steve made sure to murmur in her ear that the steak didn’t hold a candle to hers. At some point, Angie and Rose made off with the twins - Toni would periodically catch sight of them making the rounds and showing off the snoozing infants to the other guests.

Eventually, Pepper appeared at their elbows again and chivvied them up for the cutting of the cake. Happy already had the video camera out, and Peter Parker took up the other side as Thor wheeled out the wedding cake.

It was a simple affair; two tiers of chocolate and vanilla marble with vanilla frosting, made in a soy- and nut-free environment as to not set off Steve’s allergies. No groom’s cake, because Peggy had declared the very concept to be “dumber than rocks” the moment that Happy had suggested it.

Pepper handed Toni the serving knife, and Steve wrapped his hand around hers as they carefully carved out a slice of the bottom tier. Once plated, Steve daintily fed her a bite - she got a huge swirl of chocolate. She returned the favor, resisting the urge to smear the leftover frosting on the tip of his nose, and he ended up licking it off her finger with a sultry smirk as the guests hooted and hollered around them. Toni giggled shrilly as Pepper led them back to their seats.

“That was cute,” Natasha said as they sat back down.

“Disgustingly so,” Bucky added, and he and Natasha high-fived while Arnie rolled his eyes to Bucky’s right.

“What? Why do you-- ugh, never mind.” Rhodey made a face at Bucky, who made a face right back at him.

“I think it’s sweet,” Peggy said.

“It  _ is _ sweet,” Carol agreed. “Disgustingly so. In a good way.”

Toni narrowed her eyes at her friend. “Just for that, no cake for you.”

“Try and stop me, oh High One,” Carol taunted, quickly getting to her feet and making for the cake line.

The musicians were brought in shortly thereafter, and Jan urged Toni to get the first dance over with so they could all work off the extra calories. Laughing, she allowed Steve to lead her out to the dance floor as the small ensemble began to play what ended up being an artful arrangement of “Because You Loved Me”.

It was a testament to the momentous occasion that Toni refrained from making fun of Celine Dion as they swayed around the floor, and Steve leaned in to whisper, “you’re right, it’s better without the vocals,” as they twirled by a nearby table. Toni bit back a laugh as he dipped her again, her skirts flaring around her like something out of an arthouse film. He got his hands on her hips and lifted her up over his head, spinning around as everyone cheered and whistled. The song drew to a close and she couldn’t help but draw him back in for another kiss as the applause grew louder.

Pepper led Sarah to the center of the floor, and Toni found herself swaying with both mother and son as the musicians switched into Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”.

“So it’s official,” Sarah said, her voice choked up. “I have a daughter-in-law and grandchildren. This is the best day of my life.”

“Aw,” Toni said as Steve ducked his head and drew his mother in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

“So, we were talking,” Steve said, eyeing Toni. She nodded, and he went on. “At some point, we want to take a family trip out to Chicago.”

“Maybe for our first Christmas together,” Toni added. “And of course, we want you there with us.”

Sarah beamed. “That sounds lovely! I haven’t been up to Chicago in so long.” She waggled her eyebrows. “And I can take the twins for some Grandma time and let you have a bit of a honeymoon, huh?”

Steve blushed even harder and Toni threw her head back to laugh as the song came to a close.

“Finally!” Jan shrieked from the sidelines as the deejay finally started up his set, cueing the guests to rush onto the dance floor. Steve escorted Sarah off and back to her seat as Toni went off in search of her twins. She found Angie, Peggy, and Rose seated at the table with Al and Bruce, and Bruce had Nella in his lap as Rose cooed over Arno.

“They are such good babies,” Rose exclaimed. “You’re so lucky, Toni!”

“Thank you,” Toni said, sitting down next to Bruce. “Having fun?”

“Surprisingly, yes.” Bruce brushed Nella’s curly dark hair off of her face as he stared down reverently at the sleeping baby girl. “I’m not typically one for parties, but.” He shrugged, casting a wry smile at Toni. “Two of my closest friends getting married warrants a step out of the comfort zone, huh?”

“I’m glad you came,” Toni told him.

“I’m glad Jen made me come,” he agreed. Nella began to stir in his arms, and Toni reached over and gently stroked down her daughter’s little nose. She quieted almost instantly.

“Magick,” Bruce commented.

“No, mother’s intuition,” Angie corrected him, shooting Toni a grin. “Great shindig here, Tones.”

“Thanks, Ange. Thanks for coming.”

“One day, we’ll be able to have one too,” Angie swore, and Peggie twined her fingers through her girlfriend’s in response.

“I look forward to it,” Toni said, smiling. And she really was, too. She’d perform the handfasting herself if they’d let her.

After a while, Sharon wandered back by them and Toni gave up her seat to the teen and started to make the rounds to other tables.

Steve joined her by the time she got to Dooley and Thompson’s table. “Chief,” Steve greeted his boss, arm around Toni’s waist.

“Rogers,” Dooley responded, nodding to them.

“Strega Stark, congratulations!” Mrs. Dooley said warmly.

“Thanks, Loretta.” Toni smiled. She didn’t know the woman well, but the few times that they’d interacted had been pleasant and she’d been surprisingly in agreement with Dooley’s wife more times than not.

“You look amazing,” Loretta gushed now, pressing a hand to her mouth. “Oh, I wish I could have worn something like that for my wedding.”

“Nonsense, you looked amazing for our wedding,” Dooley said immediately, and his wife fluttered her eyelashes in response. “This is what you’ll turn into after a decade, you two,” Dooley added as an aside.

Steve squeezed Toni tighter. “Looking forward to it.”

Toni had to smile up at him at that, but Thompson cleared his throat.

They all looked over at him and his face was carefully schooled into a neutral expression as he leaned forward. “Look, I know that we haven’t always gotten off on the right foot--” he broke off and took a deep breath. “Okay. Let me try again.” He looked up at them, eyes flicking between Toni and Steve. “Congrats, you two. You deserve it. Good luck with those rugrats of yours.”

Toni felt something warm spring into being, deep under her chest tattoo. “Thank you, Jack.”

“That-- that means a lot to us,” Steve said, sounding faintly shocked.

Thompson snorted. “Don’t be so surprised, Rogers. You two have been pining for each other for ten years now. About damn time.” He got up and stalked away to the open bar, the Dooleys looking bemusedly after him.

Sousa and his fiancee Violet made their way back to the table at that moment, and Toni and Violet shared a quick hug as Sousa nodded to them. “Just letting you know, the department is all pretty much here, but we’d like to thank you for your generosity on behalf of the CPD.” Toni and Steve had asked their guests to not bring gifts, instead setting up a donation fund for the Big Brother/Big Sister organization that the police department ran.

Toni smiled. “Hopefully, someone will find something they desperately need through it.”

Sousa smiled at that, Dooley gave Steve a casual salute and Loretta waved as their kids came rampaging back, allowing Toni and Steve to sweep off to the next table.

 

The rest of the evening passed in a whirl of joy, dancing, and music. At some point shortly before dusk, Sarah had to retire to her guest room in the Manor. Toni went with her to settle the twins into bed, and Jarvis stayed behinds with the babies as she returned to the reception.

Steve got her onto the dancefloor once more, and despite her warnings, he still managed to convince her to let him swing her around a bit. Rhodey got a dance in with her as the sky darkened and the stars began to come out. Lanterns were lit, and the sky filled with Witchlights conjured by various guests. Toni danced and laughed and kissed Steve, over and over again, as the moon shone down on them.

Eventually, the party began to wind down. Toni and Steve had decided against a honeymoon right away, so they were forgoing a traditional send-off in favor of a reverse-receiving line. Toni was immensely grateful that she had been able to change into flat shoes as every single guest that had remained until the end gave her and Steve their congratulations once more as Toni and Steve thanked them for joining in on the celebration.

Matt was the very last person in line, and Steve shook his hand after Toni gave him a quick hug. “It was my honor,” he said as the newlyweds attempted to thank him for officiating half of the ceremony. “I enjoyed working with Strega Strange. Besides, this is probably going to be one of the most memorable weddings I’ve ever performed.”

Toni laughed as Steve clapped Matt on the back. “For real, thank you, Matt.”

“God bless,” Matt answered, smiling as Foggy offered his arm to lead him to his car. And with that, the last of the guests departed.

“Okay,” Pepper said, surveying the mess with her hands on her hips. “It might be a bit, but I think we can get this cleaned up in under an hour.”

Tommy and Billy groaned as their mother shushed them, but then someone cleared his throat from the buffet table.

Peter Quill waved from his perch on the table. “Hiya, since we didn’t show up with presents for the bride and groom, we’re making our gift to you to be cleaning up the mess!” He beamed as Groot mimicked his wave and Rocky stole another glass of something that Toni was almost positive was alcoholic.

Pepper’s eyebrows went up. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “That is a huge help to us. Would you all like us to leave our Witchlights here for you?”

“Absolutely!” Rocky piped up. “It’s damn dark out, you know!”

The bridal party and coven all laughed, and Steve glanced at Toni. “Is it really all right for us to leave them to clean up?”

“Absolutely.” Toni nodded and winked to Peter, who winked back. “Faeries take their gifts very seriously.”

“Ah.” Steve nodded to them. “Then please pass on my thanks as well.”

“You got it, Mister Toni’s Husband,” Peter replied, hopping off the table. “I’ll go get the others.” He disappeared into the darkness, headed towards Craven’s Woods.

“Well, we’d best leave them to it,” Jane said, and the humans headed inside as the trees began to rustle and figures began to appear from the forest.

 

It was another half hour before the remaining members of the bridal party and coven left, leaving Pietro, Hermes, Hecate, Wanda, and her boys. They all trooped up to their bedrooms to wash off the revelries of the day, and Toni retreated to the master bathroom to wipe off her makeup and tie back her hair. Still, there was one more thing she wanted to do before going to bed.

Steve found her in the nursery, sitting in the rocking chair and watching the twins sleep.

“It’s official,” he whispered, kneeling at her side. “We’re a family.”

She smothered a snort. “Like we weren’t already.”

“You’re right.” Steve raised Toni’s hand to his lips as he kissed her wedding ring, before kissing her cheek. “God, I’m such a lucky man.”

“You are.”

Steve laughed quietly, and Toni got to her feet.

“Well, husband,” she said imperiously, smirking playfully. “Take your new wife to bed.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but as soon as he was standing, he swept Toni off her feet and kissed her on the lips again as he carefully began to make his way back to their bedroom. “As you wish, Strega.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Jumping the besom/broom is an actual tradition used in various cultures around the world. It can be found throughout the United Kingdom and Africa in some form.
> 
> I TOLD YOU I WASN'T DONE. THIS AU LIIIIIIIIVES. Next up is a few years in the future: we rejoin this family around Christmas~


End file.
